Tag Archives: pumpkin

Here’s another Creative Solution that uses recycled materials to make a Halloween craft called a Jar-o-Lantern.

Originally, I saw the Jar-o-Lantern craft in a Women’s Day magazine about two or three years ago; now it’s also all over Pinterest. My kids love to do it every year because it’s so simple, easy, and fun. Of course, part of the Creative Solution is to adapt it according to your needs/desires. Some suggest decoupaging orange tissue paper onto a jar… others suggest painting… Some focus only on pumpkins… others suggest the same varieties of characters that I painted in the Carnival Cans Craft.

Jars: We recycle a ton of jars (from peanut butter, pickles, and salsa). I started saving the jars and found that it’s easier to remove the label and glue immediately rather than waiting until I am ready to use them later… old glue is harder to remove and I’m less likely to actually follow through on the project if I have to spend the time to clean all the old jars. While there’s a ton of suggestions for how to remove the label and glue, I find the easiest is to simply soak the jar in a container of hot water with some blue Dawn dish detergent overnight. Then label scrapes off pretty easily and I wash it before storing.

Paints: The first time we painted the Jar-o-Lanterns, we did all pumpkins. This time we painted the jars similar to the Halloween Carnival Cans Craft.

Decide on your painting scheme, and apply the base coat in your chosen color. You only need one coat of paint, the thinner the better (since these will be luminaries and glow).

Orange for pumpkins

White for ghosts

Green for Frankenstein’s Monster

Purple (or lavender) for Dracula

Let the jar dry completely.

Add decorative details… let it dry.

Light: Add either a tea light candle or an electric votive (usually available in a 2-pack for $1 at the Dollar Store). My boys love keeping theirs in their bedrooms, in which case the electric version is the way to go.